Souls of Steel
by Fantasism
Summary: Samurai!AU. All Gakupo ever wanted was to follow in his father's footsteps, and become an honorable warrior to raise his family out of poverty. He did not, however, account Rin into his plans. Anyone up for wild chases all over Japan? GakuRin, now continued.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: I've been watching a lot of _Samurai Champloo_, and of course it made me think of my eggplant samurai. That being said, some notes about this piece:

a.) the setting is between 1200-1300 AD, in Japan (surprise).

b.) During this time in Japan, becoming a samurai would mean better social standing in their communities, and obviously more money, so it was kind of normal for young men to run off and start "freelancing" as ronins as they tried to find a lord to dedicate their loyalties to.

c.) A relationship between a 14-15 year-old and a 20ish year-old would be looked at differently in that time.

Souls of Steel

It was the only thing he had ever wanted out of life. His father had been a ronin until the day he died, leaving Gakupo to take care of his heart-broken mother. He'd promised them both that he'd fulfill his father's dream of pledging his life to a lord, perhaps even an Emperor, and raising his family out of the streets and into the suites.

All that, however, was a lot easier said than done. Gakupo Kamui had left his hometown only a week ago and already he was broke, half-starved, and about ready to turn tail and head home when a seemingly perfect opportunity appeared before him in the form of a young girl wearing a flowered orange kimono. However, he was a skeptical man at heart, so when the blonde appeared before him, giving a wide smile and running her right index finger over the the sheath of his katana, he was immediately suspicious.

She was probably a foot and a half shorter than he, with short golden hair that fell around her ear and jaw in chunks. Her large gunmetal eyes surveyed him, and he noticed her lips twist from a grin, to a slight pout, before smiling once more. She looked young, probably hadn't even seen sixteen years yet. So what did she want with him?

"Are you a samurai?" She asked him, taking a seat beside him on the dirt road with no invitation.

Ah, perhaps she was looking for a husband? She most likely came from a family of fishermen, or farmers, and marrying a samurai would greatly increase her social standing. Young as she was, she shouldn't encounter too many problems in that endeavor. Gakupo wasn't much interested in any of that, but as he was still trying to muster up the strength to move on, he decided to humor the girl by saying "Yes," even if it wasn't completely true yet.

She immediately jolted to her feet, the same finger that had been stroking his blade flew up to launch itself in his face. All traces of flirtatious amusement was gone from her features, and he felt almost intimidated under her hateful glare. "Where are the Eastern lords keeping them?" she demanded, jabbing her finger into his chest.

Well then. Since Gakupo wasn't _actually _a samurai yet, he had no idea. He was however, making his way East. He wouldn't tell her that. "I don't know," he said instead. "I'm actually more of a, um, freelancer."

If he thought she couldn't get anymore disgusted with him, he thought wrong. "Isn't that a fancy way of saying you're not _good _enough to be a samurai yet?" She then rolled her eyes.

"I—I am _plenty _good! In fact, I'm on my way to introduce myself to some lords now, so it really should be any time now that I—"

"You're going East?" the blonde child asked. _Whoops_. "Take me with you!"

Finally, Gakupo ambled to his feet, if only so he could tower over the girl. "I may not be a full-fledged samurai _yet_," he told her, "But that doesn't mean I'm low enough to start taking on babysitting jobs."

"I think, perhaps, you believe yourself to be too _weak_ to escort me anywhere." It was Gakupo's turn to glare at the girl, but she only grinned at him. "How about we make a deal, wanderer? If you can beat me in a fight, then I won't ever bother you again. If _I _win, you take me to the East. Got it?" When Gakupo shook his head, the girl frowned, but then added, "If you beat me, I'll give you all the gold I can find in my home."

That made Gakupo ponder. Did he want to fight a little girl? No, it was dishonorable. Did he like easy money? Yes, and he very much needed it. So he nodded, the girl clapped her hands together and demanded him to wait right there while she retrieve her weapon. Gakupo watched her back as she disappeared into a tea house across the street, reemerging seconds later. In her hand she held a long spear made of metal, standing a few inches taller than herself. It seemed to have charms wrapped around the shaft. Gakupo couldn't help but ponder what a strange weapon that was, in an age where almost everyone used katanas. He dismissed the thought, however. It didn't matter what tool she used; there was no way he couldn't be victorious.

She stopped a few yards away from him. "First to draw blood?" she called out. Though the streets have been empty for most of the duration of their conversation, with the setting sun meant that people were slowly leaving their homes in search of more carnal pleasures, though many of them seemed to want to watch him fight this child. He thought he could hear whispers, "_Is Rin going after _another_ one_?" but he blocked them out, instead nodding his consent to the blonde. She spread her legs, shifting her grip so that she held the spear with both hands. Someone in the crowd shouted, "_Get 'im_!" and off they were.

While Gakupo surely could have used a little more practice in the ways of swordsmanship, he was fairly confident that he was going to win this battle. After all, she was so small, and all in all just a little girl. Perhaps he'd just give her a small nick, and then be on his merry way. Though, he was unsure at this point to where that was. Would he go home? Or keep _trying_?

He swung his sword horizontally, and was a little surprised when the girl blocked him with ease. He tried to other direction with the same results. Though she hadn't yet made an offensive move, he couldn't collide steel with anything other than her spear. Was she trying to tire him down? Good plan, she was younger, had more stamina—

Suddenly, she jammed the base of her spear into the dirt, effectively shielding herself from his next attack, but then her feet left the ground, and she was hurdling herself around her weapon, bare feet flying in the air until, finally, they made contact with his face.

Blood poured out of his nose as he stumbled, tripping over his own feet and onto the ground. Before he could look up, she'd settled back on her own legs, hoisted her spear, and pointed it straight at his throat. She pushed, just a little, and a bead of blood fell.

"What a surprise," someone in the crowd called out sarcastically. "Rin wins against another helpless traveler."

Gakupos eyes were as wide as saucers. How had—_how_? He had years of experience, had been practicing since he could practically walk, and this little girl had taken him down in less than a few minutes. This girl—the crowd had referred to her as Rin—had pummeled him into a pulp.

The blonde grinned widely at him, offering her small hand that was no carrying her weapon. "Well, we should leave before it gets too dark," she ordered. He ignored her, standing on his own. He was a man of his word, he'd do what he'd promised, but that didn't mean he had many questions.

She ran inside the tea house once more, emerging with a blanket-covered bundle attached to her spear. Standing before him, she offered her hand again, this time as an introduction. "My name's Rin. I hope you won't let me down."

He frowned, but accepted the greeting. "Kamui Gakupo."

–

A/n: I don't know whether or not this is going to be a one-shot yet. I mean, it could be, but I also have ideas for if you guys are interested. Like, _why _Rin wanted to go East for example. But, yeah, I hope you all enjoyed c:

Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Gakupo watched from a few feet away, wondering briefly when Rin was going to lose that spring in her step that Gakupo had lost only a few hours after the sun had gone down. True to her word, they had set off immediately. They hadn't much spoken to each other, and as time went by, Gakupo came up with more questions than answers.

Why did she need him to play bodyguard? She'd easily taken him down, and he was pretty sure she could just as easily do it to someone else. It _was _dangerous for young girls to wander across the country by themselves, but Gakupo had a good feeling she could take care of herself. He took her in once more, as if she'd morphed into something other than a young lady within the hours they've been walking together, but she was still the same as how he met her, save for the fact she had put geta on her bare feet. She wore the same orange kimono, spear thrown over her shoulder and attached bundle bouncing with her steps. She looked—content. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if she started whistling soon.

"What do you want with the samurai from the East, anyway?" he finally asked, sick of traveling in silence. She looked over her shoulder at him, large eyes shining under the light of the moon, slowing her gait momentarily.

Instead of answering, she said, "Do you want to rest up for the night?"

So when they made it to the next town, Rin headed straight for an inn. She told the elderly lady at the desk that they would like _one _room, and Gakupo tried to ignore the suspicious glare the grandmotherly-type sent his way. Then he realized people had every _right _to be weary with him, traveling around with a pretty, young girl, it must have looked like he kidnapped her. Or had purchased her off of her parents. In reality, however, wasn't it _her _forcing _him_ to accompany her? But he couldn't tell anyone that—then he'd have to admit that this _pretty, young girl_ had virtually kicked his ass.

They followed the woman down a long hallway, and he watched as she handed Rin a key, whispered something in her ear, and then with one more unsure glance at Gakupo, had set off once more. Of course, Gakupo's curiosity got the best of him and he asked, "What did she say?"

Rin shrugged, sliding open the door to their modest room. The only furniture was a low table, and, thankfully, two futons. "She said if you weren't my father or my older brother, then I should try to run away because you most likely want to 'ruin me for other men.'"

He sputtered, indignant, but his cheeks flushed with color and Rin noticed, laughing at him outright before unceremoniously dumping her belonging onto the ground and unwrapping her obi. Seeing what she was doing, Gakupo made it a point to tear his eyes away, focusing on his on futon and crawling in, twisting his lids together. He hadn't been able to afford proper bedding for a few days now, so he should make the most of it.

He heard Rin's kimono hit the wooden floor, could feel it creak under her wait as she crawled under the blankets, settling in. He listened as her breathing evened out almost immediately as she fell into sleep. He rolled his eyes to the darkness.

"Gakupo?"

Not asleep yet, then. He sighed. "What?"

"Thanks for holding up your end of the deal."

He wondered briefly how many times she had set out on this vague journey eastwards. Had she had other traveling companions? Had they abandoned her? Where was her family? Is that who she was looking for? How long would it take them to find what she was searching for?

More questions. No answers. Gakupo fell into a fitful slumber.

–

Rin spent most of her life traveling. She was well-accustomed to it, could spend weeks sleeping in fields and, as long as it didn't rain, would love every moment of it. She was adept at catching her own food, and finding odd-jobs in random towns so that she would always have some money, just in case.

The first few years she began wandering, she wasn't alone. She'd enjoyed it less back then, she remembers, but her company had more than made up for it. When he left, she'd been at a loss of what to do. He'd only given her small details about what he was planning, but Rin knew it had to do with the samurai and the lords, and she knew he was heading East.

The East was, in a word, dangerous. _Especially _for young girls such as herself, which was why he probably thought she wouldn't go after him. She snorted to herself. What an idiot.

Rin had already re-dressed and bought some breakfast from the market across the street. She frowned at her coin purse on the way back, however, as she thinks the vendor probably ripped her off, but her growling stomach said to take what she could get. When she returned to her room, her _new _companion was beginning to rise.

She had chosen him because he _looked _like what she imagined a samurai to be. And, of course, he _had _told her he was one, even if he had been lying, she figured he must know _something _about them. Of course, it greatly helped that he was an adult male, and thugs and thieves were a lot less likely to target her when she had him around, but she was confident in her own ability and his main purpose for being here was so that, when she finally _did _find the samurai, hopefully he'd know what to do next.

He peered at her groggily as she grinned at him, announcing that she had breakfast. He rolled out of his futon, running his large hands through his long, purple hair that was more a mass of tangles than anything else right now. He sighed when his fingers got caught in knots, giving up altogether and reaching for the fish and rice she'd put on the table. She figured, if she didn't have such purpose and drive, if she wasn't so self-reliant, she would've thought him to be handsome with his tall form, broad shoulders, and sharp eyes.

But Rin wasn't that kind of girl, she told herself. She had a _reason _for him being here, and it wasn't to be her eye candy.

After a few moments of silent eating, he glanced up at her through his lashes. "What are you searching for, anyway?" he'd asked her something similar last night, except bringing up the samurai. She decided to grace his question with a vague answer.

"A boy," she said.

She heard Gakupo scoff. "What, did your betrothed run out on you? Are you seeking revenge for your broken heart?"

It very much sounded like he was mocking her, so she launched a chopstick at him, smiling contently when she heard him curse under his breath as her improvised weapon lodged itself impressively into the wall, not three inches away from his face. "My brother," she said finally, and that seemed to be the end of that.

–

An hour later and they had set out once more, Rin about ten paces ahead of her purple-haired companion. She could feel his eyes burning holes into the back of her head, and she shifter her spear from her right shoulder to her left, uncomfortable. Perhaps, she thought not for the first time, acquiring help had not been a good idea. She tried to reassure herself with the fact that this was, ultimately, _beneficial _to her survival, and so that was all that mattered, but she could not help the rising anxiety creeping in her gut.

She really _hated _people.

"I have a question," Gakupo said randomly after traveling mostly in silence. She slowed her strides so that they were closer, within speaking distance, and scoffed.

"You seem to have a lot of questions," she said, then added, "no lord's going to want such a curious samurai," for good measure.

He made a face at her, showing his obvious displeasure. She wondered if, perhaps, _he _was benefiting out of this relationship as well? He didn't seem to _enjoy _her company. What would his motive be? "This has been bothering me since we met," he mentioned, looking ahead of them. They'd been walking for some time now, and they next town could be seen in the horizon. "How are you so _skilled_? To be frank with you, I firmly believed I would be victorious in our duel, and you destroyed me."

That made her laugh. "I'm pretty good, but honestly, you're awful." And he _was_. Initially, she'd expected him to put up quite a bit more of a fight. She wasn't lying when she said that she was _good_. She had to be over the years. She'd never been formally educated in the way of fighting, had found her weapon abandoned in the woods in the child and had been training herself ever since. Since her brother left, she'd _needed _defense, and so she needed to be, in a word, good. Gakupo, however... was probably hopeless. He might've looked like he had a lot of brawn, but it seemed to be going to waste. "Have you ever actually, you know... fought anyone other than me?"

She watched closely as color flooded his cheeks and fought internally to keep her giggles to a minimum. Evidently, Rin was a terrible judge of character. The corners of her lips twitched upwards as she gave an unladylike snort. "Do you want me to help you?" she finally asked.

"What?

"Like, train you," she motioned between them with her free hand. "You escort me to the East, as promised. I'll make sure, by the end of our journey, you can actually hold your own in a fight." He seemed a little reluctant, so she added, "Even if you suck, I _am _pretty resilient. I've been on my own since I was a kid and I'm still alive, so that has to mean something for my track record."

Gakupo frowned at her, but she could tell he'd accept her offer. After all, what did he have to lose? He was already stuck with her, might as well get something out of it, right? Maybe Rin didn't always play fair, but she was a decent person, and liked to help those who helped her.

So when he nodded, she grinned at him before shoving her make-shift rucksack off her spear and swinging her weapon towards him.

–

A/N: Rin wastes no time.

Your reviews were all very appreciated, and because of them, this is now multi-chaptered! -distant cheers-.

R&amp;R for more!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

It wasn't until a week after they had started traveling together that Gakupo realized exactly _what _kind of a mess he had gotten himself into. He'd consistently questioned throughout Rin's so-called "training sessions'—Gakupo referred to them as the "torture feasts"—why she needed him at all when she could _clearly _take care of herself. They'd finally made it towards the more densely-populated areas of Japan when Gakupo began to have the sneaking suspicion that they were being followed.

However, when he went to express his concerns to the blonde girl walking next to him, she was already on it as she pressed a finger to her lips, requesting silence and moving just a little faster. She reached to disentangle her rucksack from her spear, dropping it into Gakupo's hand as she readied her weapon. He followed her as she steered off the main road, instead wandering into the woods.

His heart pounded in his chest. Who was following them? Did Rin _know_, or was she being cautious? Would Rin be able to take them on if they were, in fact, dangerous? Was Gakupo going to be able to be _any help at all_?

Unspoken questions came to an abrupt halt as an arrow whistled through the air and settled into a tree trunk a few feet away from them. He heard Rin swear under her breath as she turned to face their attackers, and soon a group of four men emerged from behind the foliage. Rin tugged on his sleeve so that his back was against hers, wearily watching at the strangers surrounded them.

Rin spoke first. "What do you want?" Wind rustled the leaves around them, nighttime chill settling in. Gakupo glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She seemed to be contemplating her next move carefully, which he was thankful for. He really didn't want to end up dead. "We don't have any money."

The guy directly in front of Rin, the thickest of the group, sneered. "That's alright, little girl," he said. "The Market takes organs, too."

While the panic quickly settled into Gakupo, Rin jumped immediately (and literally) into action. The man who spoke drew his sword, which Rin quickly batted out of his hands using the shaft of her spear. While he was busy scrambling for his weapon, Rin hopped into the air to avoid another thug rushing at her from behind. He stumbled, and Rin took that as an opening to slam her feet back into the dirt, via the easy route through his skull while he was in the middle of face-planting into the ground. Though the purple-haired man blanched at the blatantly cruel gore before him, Rin had no such luxuries to consider her actions, as the original man had taken up his sword once more and the two others were quickly closing in.

She used to same technique she'd used to take down Gakupo, jamming her weapon into the ground and hefting her body up into the air and around her, thick, wooden geta slamming into necks and jaws, and though Gakupo knew he should be relieved Rin was holding her own so well, he couldn't help but flinch every time he heard a _snap_, unsure if it would be a lose branch or _somebody's spine_.

Another guy was efficiently knocked out, one was bleeding from his nose, and the last switched his broad-sword from his right hand to his left. Gakupo figured Rin had injured his arm, and would be using that handicap to her advantage. With only two left, the small girl allowed herself a short breather as she settled back to her feet, twirling her weapon like a baton. Dully, Gakupo noticed that, though her spear looked rather sharp and could easily kill someone, she'd been refraining from actually using it. Besides for defense, she hadn't used it much against him, either.

The man who wasn't currently bleeding hefted his sword and swung it in an arc. The movement was slow and sloppy, however, and Rin rammed the dull end of her spear into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and brought one of her knees up to collide with his face when he fell over. Unconscious. One more.

Bloody-nose guy, surprisingly, caught Rin off guard. He had a bow strapped to his back, leading Gakupo to believe he had been the one who originally fired at them. Close range, however, he couldn't use it and, and when Rin turned to face him bare-handed to finally _end _this, he pulled a dagger on her.

It was a futile effort, because Rin was faster than him, but he still managed to shove the blade two inches deep within her shoulder before Rin punched him with all her might into his temple, the forest finally growing silent.

The want-to-be samurai watched in horror as the blonde merely winced, yanking the steel out of her skin and dropping it next to the man who had stabbed her. "Assholes, trying to jump a kid when you can't even take a punch," she murmured under her breath. Gakupo was unsure whether to be amazed or terrified, so he settled for a little of both as he stepped over prone bodies to make his way over to his traveling companion.

He'd been totally useless, helpless to do anything but watch, just as he feared. At least, he managed, it came out better than he had thought. Though, Rin's orange kimono was quickly staining red where the fabric was sliced. He should probably help her treat it. Big blue eyes wandered over to meet him, and he could feel the back of his neck heat up. He couldn't help but feel embarrassedabout being a total wimp. "Are you okay?" he finally asked.

"He stabbed me, do I look okay?" She didn't, her face was pale and she was, of course, still bleeding, but her tone was belittling enough so that Gakupo didn't worry too much, but he figured they should patch her up as soon as possible.

He could hear the rushing of a waterfall nearby. Well, since they didn't have enough for an inn tonight, that would have to be camp, since Rin probably wasn't feeling up to much more walking today. "Let's treat your wound," he said, waving her to where he thought the sound was coming from. She was strangely silent and obedient as they searched, even though her shoulder had to be killing her. "I am a little impressed with you," he decided to admit, and he was. Had he been alone, those men probably would have gotten _all _of his organs. Had they meant the Black Market? How sketchy. Gakupo certainly didn't want to spend anymore time around here than they absolutely needed to.

And yet, as horrible as the men had been, Rin had _obliterated _them. He can remember a proverb he once heard, vaguely, something about the only thing able to destroy a monster was a _bigger _monster. He can't help but wonder how, even if it made him feel better about himself. At least he wasn't the _only _one who couldn't take Rin.

"You should be a _lot _impressed with me," she grated. "I just took out four guys twice my size while you held my bag and watched," she pointed out, sending him a seething look. "I know our training's slow going, but I figured you would have helped out a little bit more. I didn't ask you to come along for emotional comfort."

Gakupo wanted to bristle at that, but she was right. Though he very much questioned her teaching methods (training consisted of Rin attacking him whenever she thought he wasn't paying attention, and timing how fast it took for her to bring him down. Over the week he'd progressed two and a half minutes), she _was _helping him, and so he should also be helping her. However, no matter how long he trained, with Rin or otherwise, could he really ever do what she just did? Did he _want _to?

He knew why he wanted to become a samurai. Financial comfort. Social status. _Throw your own life away so that your family may have a better one_. That was true sacrifice, and that was the honor he both respected and chased after. But what good could he do _dead_? Had he ever fought Rin in a serious sense, she could probably murder him without getting so much as winded. He had started this journey under the assumption that it was an _inconvenience _for him, and yet the more time he spent with the girl, the more he doubted his motives and goals.

So he stayed silent on their walk, letting the moonlight and the sound of water guide them.

–

Rin shed her obi with little shame, though she only dropped her kimono to her waist. She considered ripping fabric from her dress (that, or her blanket), and was surprised when she heard it tearing somewhere behind her. Gakupo stooped by the edge of the lake, dipping cloth from his own clothes and wetting it before wringing it out and turning to face her. Pink still dusted his cheeks due to her state of undress, though she still wore her bindings. She resisted the urge (barely) to roll her eyes as he came towards her, saying, "Here, I'll help you treat it."

Grabbing her lightly by her wrist, he began prodding at her wound, wiping away the blood that had dried and catching new droplets. Rin embraced the momentary silence, the cool water doing wonders for her throbbing shoulder. She couldn't remember the last time someone had tended to her injuries, had forgotten how _tired _it made her. Sure, she'd take on a couple of thugs any day. Try to get her to see a doctor? She'd most likely high-tail it before any strangers could touch her.

Because she could _take care of herself, goddammit—_

"You, ah, have a lot of scars," Gakupo mentioned, probably to distract her as he dug deeper, thoroughly removing dirt and grime, though she winced. "Do you... get jumped a lot?" She gave him a flat look, and he at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I-It's just hard for me to imagine... Where I'm from, girls like you would _never _fight, let alone enough for this many scars..."

He sounded like he was pitying her. In reality, however, _Rin _pitied _him_. For all his curiosity, Gakupo was not a hard person to read, after spending time with him. Most likely, he'd grown up in a small village—where most of the men left to serve Lords, leaving mostly women and children behind. _That _was why he sucked so much; no one had ever been around to help him. His father was most likely out of the picture, she assumed, because Gakupo otherwise wouldn't have left home. His mother was probably still alive, because of _course _if a young man wanted to become a samurai, he'd have to have someone depending on him at home.

His mother? Siblings? Wife? _Child_?

She shook her head, expelling the thoughts. It wasn't her business, and it didn't matter. "I'm proud of my scars," she said instead, which was entirely true. She referred to them like _marks of honor_, there was no shame in surviving a vicious battle, no dishonor in being human: vulnerable. Perhaps, once upon a time, they _had _bothered her, but she had long since gotten over it. Gakupo should as well, she thought.

"I feel like this is my fault," he murmured, voice unlike she'd ever heard it as he threw the red-stained cloth to the side, hands reaching to rip more from his robe. "If I could have taken on _one _of them, at least, this probably wouldn't have happened."

"Probably," Rin agreed, because it _did _kind of piss her off that he didn't do anything. What was she expecting, though? Sure, he's made progress in his lessons, but he didn't exactly have a talent for swordplay. He was clumsy, consistently tripping over his own feet. She'd assumed that she could, somehow, utilize brute strength, but even that seemed troubling for him. He'd admitted at the end of one of their sessions that he didn't feel like he was improving, and though Rin had told him he _had_, this only proved it. "Well, if you just sit around next time," she began, "I'll knock _you _out, too, when I'm done. That way, you'll _have to _fight someone when you wake up," she promised.

He looked horrified, not doubting in her at _all_, which made her a little giddy. It took a while for most to start taking her seriously (those goons in the woods are a good example), but she seemed to have some sort of power over Gakupo to scare the ever-living shit out of him whenever she pleased.

She wonders if that's why she brought him along.

–

A/n: this chapter's a little bit longer than the others, but I doubt you guys will care.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T NOTICE I don't write fight scenes a lot, but I _really _want to get better so any and all feedback will be appreciated c:

Ch. 2 Review Responses:

Ashe Corinthos: I'm glad you're enjoying it! When I first started, I thought I might give Gak a _little _bit of skills with the sword, and then I was like, nah, Rin's got this.

Pineapplepie: Ahhh, thank you!

Honeycloud of RiverClan: Well... who else would her brother be? All will be revealed! Thank you!

TheUltimateShipper27: Thanks! Yes, yes, all will be answered in due time.

R&amp;R!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

It wasn't entirely fair to say that Kaito was completely without ambition, though it wasn't necessarily _untrue_. He was a simple man with simple desires. And if his family's merchant business provided him with a stable income _and _the ability to travel for the rest of his life—well, who was he to fight destiny? He had no problem with his social standing, and he enjoyed his work very much most of the time.

And so, it was quite the surprise when his very steady, linear life took a sudden turn for the worst. Kaito had been tired, growing anxious to reach the next village, and had taken a short cut instead of his usual route on the beaten path. His large bags had slumped his shoulders, slowing his speed, and distracting him from other more pressing matters, such as the group of men who had begun following him.

While the blue-haired man was shocked when they suddenly came at him with weapons, the events that followed thereafter went better than he had been hoping for. The thugs, if Kaito was being honest, looked as if their day had been going no better than his, as many were limping and sporting multiple cuts and bruises. Other than shoving him to the ground and giving him one good kick to the ribs, they mostly ignored him and instead focused on his belongings, leaving him horrified, and suddenly bankrupt, in the dirt.

Perhaps Kaito should have seen this coming, he thought moodily as he wondered across the forest. After all, he traveled very frequently, and the gods knew he couldn't protect himself. The world was becoming quite the dangerous place. On one side, people were caring less for morals and focusing more on their own selfish desires. However, that cruelty also brought upon the samurai. Ronins were becoming the norm for those who traveled as much as Kaito did, and he was starting to believe he should look into it himself. He didn't like being so vulnerable.

He also didn't like being thirsty. The welcoming sound of a waterfall beckoned him to veer right.

–

Upon arriving, Kaito was quick to realize that someone had already set up camp. Watching from the bushes, he could make out the form of a young girl sleeping on the grass, a large robe and a katana lying a few yards away from her. Did she also require a sword for hire? Any person with half a brain would assume yes, that was exactly how she was here and unharmed by the dangers of the woods around her. Her ronin was most likely gathering them _food_, which the blunet very much wanted in on. Samurai were known to be calm, level-headed people with high morals. If Kaito guaranteed to pay him, he'd definitely assist him as well!

He thought that, maybe, he should approach the small girl first, just to be safe. She appeared to be waking up, and it would be a bad start if she caught him watching her from the bushes like some creep. So he rose from his hiding spot and approached the clearing, raising his arms in what he hoped would be taken as non-threatening as her shoulders jostled towards him, eyes barely opening into slits. "Gakupo?" she murmured. Her voice was raspy, and when she moved to sit up, she shivered. Kaito also noticed her face was red, as if she had a fever.

"Are you alright?" He reached towards her, wanting to press his fingers against her forehead, but she must have noticed she was not the person she had thought him to be, and immediately bolted to her feet.

Her eyes darted, as if searching for something, and when she didn't find it she murmured a curse under her breath and crouched back to the ground, kicking out one leg and knocking his ankles together, sending him forcibly to the dirt for the second time in the same day. When she crawled on top of him to press both knees into her shoulders, effectively pinning him, he could tell she _definitely _had a fever. Her blonde hair was matted to her head with sweat, eyes blood-shot and delirious. "I—I'm not trying to hurt you!" he gasped as she gripped him painfully by the hair.

"Who sent you?" she rasped. "_What did you do to him_?"

Her voice sent shivers down his spine, and he found himself more terrified than when he had been faced with the four, fully grown men earlier. He had no answer for her, had no idea what she was _talking _about, but opened his mouth to try and calm her down when she was suddenly pulled off him.

"I don't think he's trying to fight, Rin," a man's voice said. Kaito looked up to see a tall, purple-haired man. The girl—Rin—broke from his hold rather easily, surprising Kaito, given how sick she seemed. Though, he had now had first-hand experience to back up the fact she was freakishly strong. Though she was now free, instead of attacking him, she crumbled, unconscious.

"Do you have any medicine?" asked the man, who was still towering over him as Kaito tried to make sense of what, exactly, was going on. "S-she got hurt yesterday, and I tried to clean and dress the wound, but it got worse over night—and now she's like this." He was now wrapping the girl back into her bedding, looking more like a concerned nanny than a samurai, and leading Kaito to believe he had made a huge miscalculation. "It's my fault. I need—I need help."

A bit weary, but feeling strangely obliged, Kaito nodded. "I'll do my best."

–

Kaito knew quite a bit about herbs and wild plants. After gathering those he knew would help disinfect and clean the girl's wound, he set to work with the man, who was named Gakupo, watching curiously over his shoulder. After he had finished, they sat together in a long, awkward silence before Kaito decided to share just _why _he had appeared at their camp sight.

"Well, if it eases you any, you aren't the only one to have thought that." He nodded towards Rin, who was still sleeping, though appearing much more comfortable. "She wants me to take her to the Eastern lords. I think she's looking for her brother, but I don't know anything about her. What I do know is that she could probably kill us both with a pair of chopsticks." He sounded mocking when he added," I can't fight, and after watching her, I'm not even sure if I _want _to." It was difficult for Kaito to imagine the large man being the helpless one, while the little sick girl protects him and drags him along. She did take him down easily, though, so he could believe it.

"...Do you think she would be willing to take me to my hometown?" the blue-haired man asked quietly. It felt very strange to ask such a big favor of a child, but if _this _man did, why couldn't Kaito? "I know my way around very well. I could take her straight to the East, and she can make sure I don't get robbed." Yes, Kaito thought, it would be perfect. They'd _both _get what they want. "Why are you traveling with her, anyway?"

Gakupo got a strange look on his face. "Like I said, she thought I was a samurai who could take her to the East. When she figured out I was not, she somehow figured I would fit into her plans and decided to keep me along."

"Did she beat you up?"

"...Yes."

"They do say first impressions are important."

Kaito's companion gave a low chuckle. "Perhaps she'll be thankful you treated her," he mentioned. "It will make her obliged to follow through with your request."

"I hope so."

–

A/N: Short chapter, new friends. Still no answers. Many more questions. I'm sorry.

Ch.3 Review Responses:

Ashe Corinthos: Good, I want everyone to fear Rin. She is a force to be reckoned with, and they're starting to catch on pretty fast. Thanks for your time c: I'm so happy you're enjoying it!

Guest: Yes I agree. OTP for life, brother. Thank you u.u

Pineapplepie: Aw thank you! I've never delved into that much action before but I really want to get good at it! Not a lot of Gakupo or Rin in here, but a new introduction was needed, and I hope you enjoy my Kaito because I had a blast writing him.

TheUltimateShipper27: Ahhh thank you u.u I hope you enjoyed this, even if I haven't answered any questions yet!


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